


Old Beginning, New End.

by all_knowing_peanut



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Humiliation, M/M, Mad Scientists, Post-Canon, Will add tags as the story progresses, alternative ending, where Greed and Envy survive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-03-22 23:00:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13774434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/all_knowing_peanut/pseuds/all_knowing_peanut
Summary: What if Envy didn't kill himself and crawled back to Father only to be resurrected under a lot of pain. And what if Hohenheim had have brought back Greed with the help of the Philosopher's Stone Lan Fan had?What if both of them survived the Day of Reckoning.Greed finds himself being the emperor of Xing after all. He survived - it could be worse, right? But what bothers him lately are the news of one of his sibling's surviving. And being tortured in the name of science.





	1. Prologue

„He did it!“

„He saved us, the little runt saved us!“

All those cheers echoed to his ears and he was way too afraid to look around the corner. There have been shouts and cries, but no cheers.  
  
Was Father … dead?  
  
He started to tremble like the ground has done only moments before out of pure fear. This was pathetic – he was pathetic. He should run up to that Hohenheim-Bastard, to the little pipsqueak, and to Father, help him. But he couldn’t move these damned legs of his.  
  
With the ongoing cheers his fear only grew; without Father there was no chance they would let him live. Would he die again? After he crawled back to father to be revived under so much pain, would he simply die again? He felt heat behind his eyes and he couldn’t say where he knows that feeling from. Not until tears fell down his cheeks. He pressed himself closer to the wall he was hiding behind.

But then he felt the ground stutter again, like a heartbeat and then he heard the voice of his Father, howling in agony. The tears wouldn’t stop running down his face, he instantly remembered the pain he had endured when fighting Mustang.  
  
Then there was lightning, red and powerful, Envy could only see the reflection of it in the windows of the house opposite of him.

“Pull yourself together, damnit! Stand on your feet, moron!”

Greed? Has that been Greed’s voice? He’s still around? He survived all that shit? And he was fighting against Father like it seemed?  
  
“Who’s the moron here”, muttered Envy and shuttered again. Greed would do good in getting out of there – or getting on Father’s good side. That lightning never means anything good.

“Your stone”, Father’s voice rumbled through the whole area. “Philosopher’s Stone!”  
  
Envy flinched and closed his eyes. He was never so afraid in his life before. He thought he already encountered the greatest fear when he had been kneeling in front of Mustang in those damn tunnels. But now he felt like that had been nothing.

“Give me your stone, Greed! Be a good son!”  
  
Envy turned his head away from that voice, his eyes closed and shoulders and knees trembling. He and Greed never really got along but knowing what would happen now to his brother, did terrible things to his stomach. Not seeing what exactly happened was blessing and course at the time; he could only imagine how it would look and his imagination did terrible things.

“Hey, Lan Fan!”

What? Who – then there was the sound of a clean cut through. If only he wouldn’t be so fucking petrified. Fear and curiosity were his prominent motivations –next to envy. What the hell was going on? He looked down, daring to look if his legs were as heavily shaking as it felt like. They did.

“No Greed!”, cried Edward.

He took a deep breath and inched closer to the corner.

“How could you? Greed!”, said Father, not believing what was just happening.

Envy moved his head a little forward and turned it so he could see. Father was heaving and his skin was turning grey, it was closing in on his face. The skin, no, the carbon of some sort, was crumbling. Envy watched with shock-wide eyes.

Father screamed to the sky. He raised an arm and tried to pull something out of his mouth. This something, Envy realised, was Greed. He struggled but Father bit clean trough the black material that was Greed’s soul and it got separated from its host.

“Greed!”, the boy of Xing cried. So that was Greed’s former host then, right? Envy remembered.

Greed’s sould floated into the air, slowly disappearing.

Envy watched in horror, but there was a movement on the right, and Van Hohenheim stepped forward and there was red lightning. Envy had to close his eyes, it was so bright. But he knew that energy, a Philosopher’s Stone being used. They said they had a Philosopher’s stone, right? Envy opened his eyes again, unable to look away, unable to quieten down that slowbuilding hope.

And there he was, Greed resurrected and grinning like a mad-man like always.

“Sure nice to be back!”, he shouted, but nobody was really listening to him, because Ed used Father’s Confusion and hitt clean trough the carboned skin, right, where the heart would be, so that the fist came back out on the back.

Envy hold his breath. He couldn’t take it anymore, he was so goddamned frightened. Souls in all varieties of red broke out of Father, all his souls, trapt in the stones, were fleeing into the air. And Father was stupefied. He couldn’t move. But there was something moving. The hole the Fulmetal Alchemist punched into him, was filling again. Envy narrowed his eyes in order to see better. This wasn’t new body material. These were hands. Hands he only saw when the portal was opened. Hands he had learned to associate with the worst.

“Truth”, he gasped and turned on his heel. He ran for his dear life. If Truth were to consume his Father why would it stop there? It could take Envy with it as well. He ran through the empty streets and was grateful for the attention being directed at someone else.


	2. A new sort of chimera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Envy survived the Promised Day and went into hiding out of fear to be killed again by Mustang or Father himself.
> 
> He was fine for five months, until he decided to go back to Central for one of the most human-like reasons ever: Nostalgia.
> 
> He was captured by a man simply called Doc who runs experiments on Envy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> English is not my first language so please be nice to me :) also if you find mistakes, feel free to tell me! Thanks, have fun.

He kept wondering what happened to all of them. Did the Brothers get their bodies back? Was Father dead? Probably, he couldn’t feel his presence any longer, but Greed’s seemed to be just fine, though far away – the presence continued to travel East, so far, that it became exhausting to reach out for it at all.

Envy usually liked to entertain himself with those train of thoughts these days. But even that entertainment started to dim its joy. It felt hollow. There was nothing left that felt worth thinking about, nothing to hope for either.

He had never been the hope-type anyway. He’d never hoped for things to happen – he simply did things, he made them happen. But now, with the darkness and pain the only thing constantly around him, he wanted to hope for his situation to change. But hope was just that: hope. A fleeting feeling of some sort of desperation – that’s at least how he experienced it – and now it’s gone again and probably for eternity.

He’s stuck here. And no-one out there cared for a homunculus that was dead.

Yeah, they all think he’s dead. That’s what he had wanted, he wanted to stay dead so they let him live in peace. It went well for over five months. Then he made a mistake; he returned to Central. Out of nostalgia of all things. What a shitty idea that had been.

Gritting his teeth he told himself to stop the self-loathing. For good measure he slapped himself on his thighs and got to his feet. They wobbled a little, but he managed to stand. He breathed in sharply as the stung of the still broken bone in his foot got too much and he had to catch himself on the wall to keep from falling.

“Still not regenerating, eh?” a disappointed, male voice called over too loud speakers into the darkness of his cell.

Envy showed his teeth but continued to walk a little. He couldn’t sit still all day, but he hated pain, too. It was discusting, it was horrible, this situation he was in.

“Since you’re awake, we’ll run some tests, what do you think? ”, asked the speaker-voice. Envy snorted lightly: That fool hadn’t figured he lied about sleeping. Envy did not sleep, but so he got some rest sometimes. His pleasure of fooling the bastard dies immediately as the metal door swung open and six heavily armed soldiers ran into his little cell, now illuminated by the light in the corridor behind the heavy door.

The soldiers were trained in dealing with Envy by now. At first he managed to fight them off, injuring quite a few gravely by doing so. Then they got electric weapons and better protection. And by now Envy was fucking _scared._ He limped as fast as he could away from the approaching soldiers, faces hidden behind a strong helmet, till he felt cold bricks at his back. Trapped into a corner and with a pounding heart and fearful eyes Envy could do nothing than to be taken away. He still put up a fight, but it was futile: He was led out of the cell and into the bright light.

His body got restricted to a cold table, hard, cold leather biting into his still aching skin and muscles of his thighs, his feet, torso and throat.

He felt hot tears forming in his eyes out of fear and frustration. He looked around as much as he could and realized the room was full of people he didn’t know. What the hell is going on? Usually he was alone with the Doc and two soldiers, waiting for Envy to try something.

But today there were much more people. Envy couldn’t see much of them thanks to his bound body but he didn’t need to see their faces in order to know they were all watching him.

It disgusted him to have all those human eyes on his scared and unhealed body. How dare they look down on him like that?

“Welcome, lil’ one”, said the familiar voice of the speaker but now right next to Envy. He rolled his eyes as much to the side as he could to fully see the Doc. He was dressed as always: White robe and dark trousers. His glasses were impeccable clean and the bright eyes behind underlined with dark shadows from the sleepless nights he tortured Envy. “And welcome all of you who bothered to gather in this very cold time of the year.”

So it’s winter outside? He had been captured in a freezing night. So it’s a year at least he’s been here? He shudders and his eyes go back to the audience that is quiet and attentive.

“This example here is quite interesting. Never before has a chimera taken human form!”, the Doc explans proudly.

“A what?!”, Envy shrieked and tried to break free. It was satisfying that at least some of the audience stepped a little back. The Doc unfortunately didn’t move an inch. How dare they compare him, Envy, to those filthy chimeras.

“It can talk – and understand us?”, a young woman asks with wide eyes and dared to come closer a little. But still a good ten meters away from Envy’s table.

“How dare you-”, Envy snarled. The Doc gave him a warning glance and tapped the bags of his robe. That was enough for Envy to shut up. He knew what was in there. And how much pain it can cause. So he swallowed all these pretty courses he’d had for those disgusting guests and lied quiet again.

The interest was piqued, that much was clear.

“Come near now, but please don’t cross the red line on the floor. It’s still a wild and dangerous chimera, and I don’t want any of my dear guests get hurt. Come, come”, the Doc gestured the audience to come closer and now, when Envy turned his head as much as the leather around his throat allowed him to, he could see their faces. He wanted to imprint every single one of them so he could torture and kill him in his dreams just as the Doc does with him. His eyes travelled full of hatred, but landed on two pairs of eyes that let his own go wide in shock. They looked back straight at him, Edwards eyes full of pity and but also the promise to fix it. And Greed’s were cold, but full of anger when he looked at the Doc.


	3. A new sort of chimera part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of the last Chapter 
> 
> Please be warned: referred torture and mild actual torture ahead

Great. Simply great. Not were there just rich and disgusting humans drooling over how much pain Envy can endure – and can’t endure – no, now there were also Greed and Edward Elric standing in the front row, watching.  
Envy soon lost the concentration though. The excruciating pain that rippled through his body was enough to loose any comprehend thoughts. While screaming and thrashing against his restraints, his body got bloodier by the second thanks to the Doc’s little experiments.  
It’s always been like that ever since last winter, since he got captured. They’d immobilize him long enough so he won’t fight back, until he was stripped to that stupid cold table made of metal. With the bright light above him, nearly blinding him, whenever he opened his eyes again, after they were closed in pain. Pain that came in all variety. Envy would have applauded them for their creativity if he wouldn’t be the one being on the receiving end. First it was simply test, blood tests and saliva. Than how he’d react under enormous stress. All that proved to be no problem. Then the real fun started; they started to actually torture him to get any reaction at all out of him other than a snarl and insults. They wanted him to feel pain. They cut open his fingers, torn his nails, even skinned him, after they saw he could take it.   
Never ever had he found out why they were doing it. Maybe there was something like Karma or God or whatever the humans believed in and now it came to haunt Envy for the rest of his miserable, immortal life. That was the real agony to be honest – his body still healed fine though it still hurt – but the real agony was not knowing when this will stop. When it will be over, be it by his death or – preferably – by the death of that fucking doctor.   
Said son of a bitch came into his line of vision and smiled proudly down on him while Envy was lying panting and sweating thanks to the throbbing wound that was currently pulsing in his chest. There were other wounds already on his body from today’s session. His thigh, his abdomen, minor scratches on the arm.  
“See? That chimera simply won’t die. It’s a true masterpiece of science!”, the Doc had to raise his voice so the audience could hear him over Envy’s hoarse screams. The knife that was currently twisting in his thigh slid out of Envy’s torn muscles and skin and gave the homunculus time to breath again. His screams first reduced to whimpers then he was silent. Violet eyes stared like dead to the ceiling. The audience were quiet and some of them even taking notes. Envy didn’t pay attention. He wanted this to end.  
Everyday since his capture he was treated like this, tortured like this. His healing abilities stopped a few weeks back. Now his wounds healed far more slowly, leaving scars on his pale skin. He felt ugly to the bone. 

Now, however, the Dok found a new way to torture him. Calling him a chimera, showing him off to those people. What a humiliation. He couldn’t even do a thing against it. He knows he can’t; he tried it in all ways, creative ones or simply plain aggressive and brutal, but the humans learned so quickly.   
“A masterpiece of science – indeed”, Greed growled, but quickly enough there was a grin on his face and his voice. He stepped forward a little, to be sure, everybody could see him. “How much?”  
Envy blinked slowly, those words fought their ways from his ear to his slow, pain-foggy brain. He’d love to turn his head and simply look at his brother, see that familiar grin – anything he could hold onto. But that damn leather that cut into his throat with his every movement forced him to be still. Greed was here, so was Ed. They wanted to – to buy him? Immediately there was a snarl on Envy’s face. Of course. Of course Greed wanted to possess him. And even though Envy’s pride had been quick to react, on second thought: this was his way out. He felt a little sparkle of hope.  
“What? ‘How much’? I truly am sorry, Mister, but my chimera is not for sale”, the Doc says and a chuckle followed. The Doc turned back to Envy and put his hand on Envy’s forehead. The whole body of the homunculus flinched as if it would expect pain.   
“It’s not a chimera!”, Ed said loudly and stepped up next to Greed. “And it’s no lab-rat. Stop torturing him!”   
It went quiet. Envy hold his breath.  
“Of course it’s a chimera. Nothing else makes sense, young man.” A man from the audience was now facing Edward and Greed directly. Envy couldn’t quiet see his face from his angle, but the man was in filthily rich clothes and shoes. “And it’s not torturing him. Doctor Burr cares for that creature a lot, see how less scars it has, although we’ve been testing it on diverse pain levels. We even made some medicine based on its-“

“Enough!”, Greed roared and had the rich man by the front of his suit already. “I don’t wanna hear any shit from you anymore.” He looked up and to the audience that stepped back in fear. “Leave us. We have business talk to do with that precious Doctor of yours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel like this fic is such a mess already. It started as a fun thing and I dove right into it after not having written in quiet some time. I don't know what the hell I am doing, and it shows. I truly am sorry and hopefully that will end, when we finally get some smut (for that fic was intended for just that, but then the plot came in.. well...)  
> please feel free to tell me what you think
> 
> Again: English is not my first language so please be merciful with me, thank you :)


	4. A new sort of chimera part 3

They just left him there. Envy would have liked the Doc to stay – for once – so he could listen to what Greed has to say. His voice had been a promise of threat and it left Envy shuddering and hoping. The Doc, after asking his audience to leave while apologizing to them for the interference, also asked Greed and Edward to follow him into his office. Leaving Envy alone, with blood tripping of the table the only sound in that cold, big room.

The silence left him restless. It had always been a nagging feeling for him, knowing that somewhere someone talked about you. He tested the restraints a little, and snarled at them for being so damn perfect at holding him down. It was ridiculous how weak he’s been since they’ve captured him.

After realizing that it would only hurt his wounds more to fight against the leather, he decided to wait and to relax as good as he could. What else to do to pass the time while his future lies in the hands of his fucking selfish brother? Envy could only hope that Edward had some kind of influence on Greed. Edward seemed different. They haven’t seen each other since the day Envy almost died thanks to Mustang. He grew quiet a lot, not just physically. Edward seemed quieter and not quiet as impulsive as before. Greed on the other hand was still the same snarling greedy asshole by the looks of it.

Envy took a deep breath to clear his head from the thoughts. It only made it worse though, because he smelled his own blood even more intense now. With a frustrated growl he let the air out of his lungs, felt his body deflated with its own weight and felt that little prickle of his healing powers. A shadow of its former self. It felt like a soft sort of tingling now, not the powerfull electric sparks they once were. It was a shame.

While Envy lied there in the dark and empty room, Greed and Edward were following the Doc. The friends changed a look with each other then their eyes were back on the Doc who was marching in front of them. If he was tense, he didn’t show.

All sorts of questions squirmed in Ed’s mind all the way down the hall. The sun flooded in from the windows and Ed felt a stab of pity. He wondered how long Envy hadn’t seen the sun. How long had he been here anyway?

 

Ed drew a breath to calm himself down. He would get his answers very soon.

The Doc stopped in front of a door, just as simple as all the others they have passed on their way. He fumbled with the key and the lock. It made click, as the lock opened.  
“Finally!”, Greed exclaimed and pushed the door open with one hand, with the other he grabbed the old man to drag him with him into the room.

Ed followed and hoped, Greed would calm down a little. Not just was the sin not very good with patience, no, ever since he saw Envy strapped to that metal table, Greed had been tense and downright furious.

And no, Greed wouldn’t calm down, Ed had to notice, because as soon as he was out of the way, Greed slammed the door shut and pressed the Doc against the creaking frame, his hands on his collar.

“What the fuck, just what the fuck possessed you to make him to your little lab rat?”, Greed growled, his anger barley hidden. He didn’t even wait a second until he shook the old man, so strong that the fabric on his collar tore a little. It was the only sound in the room for a short time.

“Greed, hold on”, Ed tried half-heartedly because he knew he couldn’t stop Greed. And he wasn’t the Doc’s best friend, for very obvious reasons. He had never been friendly with Envy, but his last words, before the sin had just sat there waiting for Mustang to kill him, had changed his few on the humumculus a little. At least a little. Envy had been a sadistical murderer after all. But seeing even him in the way they had… It broke Ed’s heart, it had horrified him. So no way he was teaming up with the Doc, but he kept Greed in check, too, just in case.

The Doc whimpered and his hands came up to persuade Greed’s to let go of his collar. But Greed’s hands only tightened further.

“I ask you again, old man, what possessed you to think you can simply take my brother from me? My possession?!”, Greed snarled and a terrifying smile split his face in half.

“Is that what this is about? Really?”, Ed asked incrediously and tore Greed from the Dok. It was easier than expected, so maybe Ling had his hands in this, too. Greed stepped a few paces away and snarled at Ed, too.

“This is about my brother and me, we are the only ones left. I won’t let that old fart torture him to death! He belongs to me!”, Greed roared. Ed tensed up. He stood between the hard breathing Doc and Greed.

“Greed, just calm down. We will take Envy with us. I promise! But there will be a better way than to kill this doctor, you hear me?”, Ed tried his best to stay calm, he really did, but still his voice was loud and sounded just as angry as Greed. He wanted Envy away from this place. No one should be tortured just for science as the Doc had put it. Not even a mass murderer like Envy. Because they were different? Nina would have been tortured by this man, Al would have been tortured probably.

With those thoughts in mind he turned around to face the Doc. He trusted Greedling so much, even now when he was furious, that he wouldn’t hurt him. With an angry scowl he stepped up to the Doc.  
“How long do you have that ‘chimera’ as you say?”, Ed asked with a strained voice.

The Doc seemed to find his voice, his frightened face returning to a confused and still tense look. “Since a year now. But – But what? Brother?” He looked at Greed. “So you’re one like him, too? A chimera?”

“For a man of science you’re not very bright, are you?”, Ed asked quickly, a hand stretched behind in Greed’s direction because he knew that Greed was about to attack. “Just answer my question, just give us what we want, and don’t ask anything.”

Ed stared him down until he finally got a defeated nod. Ed tried a reassuring smile. “Great! So no more silly words to anger my buddy over hear, right? And just answers. So your… subject had been in your custody for a year now?”

“Yes, round about a year, yes.”

“And you think it’s a chimera?”

“Yes, of course. Nothing I’ve ever seen has a blood like it!”, the Doc exclaimed excited.

“You extracted blood from my brother?!”, Greed hissed between his teeth. “How dare you, you little son of –“

“Ah ah! I am doing the talking here!”, Ed remained Greed with a raised finger, though his eyes never left the Doc.

“So he’s the only one like him you say? You don’t have anyone else like him down here?”, Ed continued his interrogation.

“No, it’s the only one. I’ve been very lucky to stumble across it”, the Doc tried to smile, but it was more like an uneasy grimace. He directed it at Greed, as if an apology or a compliment. Maybe both. An appeasement.

“Shut it”, Ed advised. “What have you been doing with his blood?”

“We just ran some basic tests and we are still trying to identify its DNA.”

“Stop using ‘it’!”, Greed growled.

“So you haven’t figured the DNA out yet?”, Ed ignored Greed, although he was aware that the sin was itching closer.

“No, it’s so complex, it will take a few years, maybe even longer! Isn’t that exciting?!”

From a neutral standing it probably would be. Envy was a homunculus. Also the one who could change his appearance at will. So would he have all those DNAs inside him? Is that how it works? And what about all those souls inside the philosopher’s stone? Funny, the Doc didn’t even mention the stone. Envy had to had a new one to be alive, right?

Ed scratched his head. He needed time to think. He needed Envy and Greed to tell him as much as they know. And he needed those blood samples.

“So Doc, we want to have your chimera and those blood samples. All of them. And it would be best for you, if you forgot about your precious chimera for ever.”

“What? No way! I will never part from it! Think about all the possibilities for medicine and science. It holds secrets we can’t even imagine!”

Greed was close to Ed now and growled again.

“What do you want for him?”, Ed asked. “We can pay a lot.”

“No money is worth giving up on my chimera!”

“He’s no fucking chimera, you shit-head!”

Greed pushed Ed out of the way so hard he stumbled and landed on his butt. “Hey!”

But the sin ignored him and his hands were again on the Doc, howling him up against the door that creaked again. The Doc lost all colour in his face.

“You will give me back my brother. He is not yours to possess! He’s mine!”


	5. Freedom part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally out of there.

They brought him back to his cell, after they electrify him till he did nothing more than shake. Now, here he was again, in this fucking room, with this fucking pain. There were still some little lights flashing up whenever his body tried to regenerate. Stupid body, it should have figured out by now how pointless that was; Envy didn’t regenerate like there was no care in the world. His stone was exhausted thanks to that shitty doctor.

He kept on complaining and whining and wishing to get his clawed hands onto that stupid bastard’s neck when suddenly his door opened again. Light pooled into the room, blinding him for a moment, making him shake because how unfair it was: he couldn’t even see them when they take him again for torture. But no, nothing came. His eyes got used to the light and he blinked a few times, heard footsteps, one with a metallic clank. 

Edward Elric was standing in his cell, looking way too sympathetic, way too kind. Just like he did back then in the tunnelds beneath central.

“You got yourself into a fine mess, ugly”, Greed entered the cell as well. Immediately Envy’s body got tense.

“How dare you-“, Envy started growling and snarling, but the more he moved the more his body protested. With a groan he sank down on his bed.

“Careful, Envy.” Ed was by his side by an instant. Jeez, how long has Envy been down here? Ed got so much taller. Still, when they’re eyes met, Envy had to look away. He couldn’t handle this concerned look -

Brush it off, brush it off.

“Nah, pipsqueak. Nothing too bad, not for a homunculus at least”, he singsang but didn’t dare to move, afraid his body would hurt again.

Ed seemed to be surprised, but he saw that bluff as what it was. He got serious. “Don’t act all no-care, Envy. We’ve seen you. We’ve seen how much pain you were in and –“

“And nobody messes with a homunculus like that. So you’re coming with us. Right now”, Greed finished for Ed and came closer. He stayed away this whole time as if Envy had some kind of disease. He was still like Envy remembered. That new body was something to get used, too – he’d only seen Greed in this form when he was reborn, and that felt like ages ago – but still: Greed was Greed. His attitude, the arrogance. Envy didn’t know how he felt about all that.

“So, just to get this right: You two want to help me get outta here? What about the guards – wait, yeah what about them?! How did you get in there?”, Envy asked.

“Well, we used diplomacy”, Greed said proudly and put his hands on his hips, cocking them. He raised his chin up high. “You’re welcome, bro.”

“Yeah diplomacy, allright”, Ed gave Greed a cold glare but his eyes warmed up as soon they settled back on Envy. “Fact is: You get out of this miserable place.” He smiled and offered a hand.

Envy just looked at that hand. It resembled fathers to no end. It was creepy. And that smile was creepy, too. Wait – where has all that metal gone, the automail? Envy’s eyes grew large and Ed guessed his thoughts because he said: “I’ll tell you on our way to Xing.”

“Why should I trust you?”

Ed looked surprised. Greed simply laughed. “As if you had any better options than to come with us. This place is killing you, and not in that fun, prickly way we’re used to. Get up, get dressed and get going.”

With those words he turned and marched out of this cell as if he owned that place. Maybe he even did, wasn’t his body the new emperor of Xing? 

Ed stayed behind and offered the hand again. “Well?”, he asked still smiling.

Envy couldn’t believe it. They had to have an ultimate motive right? Nobody would help him – he was an ugly monster, a murderer and – But Ed was still there, still waiting till Envy made up his mind.  
“We’ll get you out of here, I promise.” 

On their way out, there were no guards to be seen, curiously enough. Envy didn’t trust the peace. This luck. He never had luck. So why start now? He limped in between Greed and Ed, last of them always having a supporting hand on his arm when needed. It was making him sick. Just like all those questions in his head: What happened while he was done here? How had Ed gotten his arm back? Did he really? But another look confirmed it. Instead of metal there was warm, caramel coloured skin. How many has changed? Greed was emperor of Xing now? What the hell?! How much did he miss?!  
They’d put the time they’re going to be travelling to good use. Envy’s got a lot of questions that needed answers.

When they exited the building Envy had been hold captive he didn’t know where the fuck he was. He didn’t know the streets, didn’t know the few people that walked past them. He looked around, trying to find some clue, something he could recognize. 

“Great move, dragging us all the way up to Dragma”, Greed sneered, as he walked in front of them, leading the way, hands into his pants’ pockets. 

“What? Dragma?!”, Envy exclaimed and walking faster, forcing Ed to follow, so he was beside his brother. He looked up to him. “How is that possible? How did you find me any way?”

“Well”, Greed started, looking down on his nose. Scanning Envy’s features for whatever till he finally continued, “We’ve heard about some special kind of chimera. And Ed never giving up on Alchemy, not even after the Promised Day, he wanted to check it out. And I just sorta’ tagged along.”

Envy’s brows knitted together and he turned to look to the pipsqueak, that was taller than him now. - Why was he the smallest of the three of them?! – “Not even after, hu? What does that imply?”, he smirked from one ear to another. “Yeah, I noticed – you’ve got your limbs back, didn’t you? Well done!” 

There was no way one could decipher if he really meant it or if it just was a damn good sarcasm. Not even Envy himself. He couldn’t say if he really was happy for Edward or not. But what he knew was that he was damn curious. So he continued his interrogation. “Tell me, how about your brother? Still a tin can? Oh and what about that flamy bastard? Still alive? Oh and what about you, Greed? Xing, seriously? Rather big downstep from king of the world, right? You’ve gotta tell me everything!”

“He’s getting so excited already. I’d hope your injuries would quiet you down a little longer, bro”, Greed signed and stopped in front of a expensive looking car. Some xingese man was waiting for them, bowing and held open the doors of the car. Lan Fan was waiting in the shadows, always watching. Making Envy wonder how long she’s been there and if she even could have been inside Doc’s lab, too.

“Yeah, Envy. You’re not completely healed. Just rest till we get to Xing. There we’ll answer everything”, Ed promised with a proud smile. He couldn’t wait to tell Envy how everything played out, he was still so proud and happy about it all. But maybe Envy wouldn’t be so happy. Who knows. 

They got inside the car, it was bigger than it looked from outside, giving Envy the possibility to lay down and rest. Ed’d been right; Envy was still exhausted although he got hyped a minute ago. The Philosopher’s Stone didn’t do his trick as good as he did a year ago. 

He was asleep even before they took the first turn on their journey to Xing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys for the long wait. Life has been rather eventful, not even in a bad way, just in a time-consuming way. Have fun and the next chapter will come soon :)


	6. Freedom part 2

Xing was different than Amestris. After that longass period of sand – Envy mostly slept through the whole thing – they finally entered Xing. And Envy couldn’t keep his eyes by himself. He had never been to another country. His place had been Amestris, under– and aboveground. All those new people, all those new smells and that weird language.

  
“So that’s your country, eh, Greed? Boring”, he lied while his eyes were still trying to take everything in that he saw beyond that shitty car’s window.

  
Greed just sat there, his arms crossed and shrugged a knowing smile on his face. Damn him!

  
Envy pouted and turned again to look outside. The fields were green and there were people busy working and farming. The view was wide and clear. No big buildings to block the view like in Central. No, here Envy could see wide, over all those fields and the pale mountains beyond those. It gave him a calm feeling he couldn’t quite identify.

  
“So, Envy”, Ed said, still that stupid smile on his face. Had he been watching him? That creep. “Wanna do some sightseeing? Greedy Emperor here won’t have much time, so you’re stuck with me.” That grin even grew wider, it almost challenged Envy’s.

  
“And what do you wanna do, pipsqueak? Yeah get me into those masses, so I can start some trouble!”

  
“None of that. You’re in my country, Envy, so you’ll behave”, Greed stated.

  
Envy turned to face him. “What? No way, where’s your sense of fun?”

  
Greed opened his eyes and glared at him. “Bahave!”

  
Greed seemed different. Was that the prince? Envy couldn’t tell. Were they mixing? Envy just snorted. “Fine. As you wish, your Majesty.”

  
Greed smirked. Ah, there he is. That’s his big bro, allright. “Ah, I like the sound of that.”

  
“What, nobody ever called you that?”, Envy asked with a toothy grin.

  
“Nope. Just Emperor. Which is actually better.” Greed grinned, too and Envy felt that old tug inside his stomach. That was Greed, alright. He turned away and looked out of the window again.  
“Hey!”, Ed called. “Still haven’t got a clear answer to the sightseeing question!”

  
Envy rolled his eyes. “Fine, whatever.” But he grinned. That could actually be fun.

 

 

It wasn’t bad. They were travelling in style thanks to Greed being Emperor.

  
They stopped because Ed and Envy were starting whining because they were hungry. Funny thing, the one who ate the most, was Greedling. Ed called him that as soon as Greed’s demeanour changed when the food arrived.

  
Envy, never one for food, played with his a little, but was content to watch the others. His brother was so different, even without Ling coming through. Greed grew up, so it seemed.

  
And Ed. Ed wasn’t the pipsqueak anymore. He was taller than Envy now – Goddamnit – and even now his whole personality seemed different. Yeah, he still was loud and annoying, but there was hurt and warmth in his eyes that made Envy uncomfortable. His eyes wandered over Edward as he laughed and ate at the same time – disgusting. His automail. What happened? Envy didn’t know shit about how the Promised Day ended. Obviously humanity won. And Ed got his limbs back? No, his leg was still automail, Envy could tell. He walked like he used to. What about Al? Was he back or still a tin can?

  
Things changed. But he, himself, Envy was still the same.

  
He looked down at his nearly untouched food. He should be hungry. But he just pushed it around the plate with his fork.

  
“What? Xing’s food not to your liking?”, that was Ling, no mistaking. Was Greed taking a nap or what?!

  
“Where did my brother go?”, Envy snarled, and was surprised how angry he really sounded.

  
Ed was watching him very closely. Jeez, it was getting on his nerves. Ed was no better than that shitty doctor. All of them, just watching, what he was going to do.

  
“I’m right here, bro”, it was Greed’s voice and only for a moment did the Emperor’s face change. Envy was irritated.

  
He slammed his hands of the table and walked out of the restaurant within seconds. Outside it was already night. Calming dark night. He heard footsteps.

  
“Jeez, just leave me alone!”, he snarled, but as he turned he was already shoved into the wall. Greed glared at him, their faces only inches apart.

  
“What’s your problem, Envy?”

  
Said Homunculus scoffed and grinned, his eyes full of hatred. “What’s my problem? Sorry for not being used to play happy family, Greed.”

  
“Learn it, then. This is our world now. And it’s good.”

  
Envy snarled and came even closer to Greed. “Our world ended. We’re not part of that.. that happy-little-life-thing.”

  
“We’re here right now, aren’t we? Learn to accept it. There is no threat, no need to be unhappy.”

  
“Oh listen to you! So wise, so calm! Did that little prince of yours make you weak? That little bastard, did he –“

  
There was a fist in his face before he could finish. His head met the wall and he had to blink a few times to be able to focus again. Green was still standing in front of him. Still calm, although he just punched his brother in the face.

  
“You damn bastard, how dare you!”, Envy tasted blood. From his nose, there was dripping blood. And there was no alchemic lightning to heal that.

  
“Be glad I didn’t punch to hard. You can die any day now, Envy. Ed hasn’t told you yet, but welcome to the mortal world.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again, lads.. :( but we're getting there. Hoping for smut in 2-3 Chapters :)


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